Protection of War Graves Act Passed 10 January 2007 (RT1 I 2007, 4, 21), entered into force 20 January 2007. In observance and acknowledgement of the obligation of the Republic of Estonia to guarantee the protection, respect and dignified treatment of the remains of persons who have died in acts of war conducted on the territory of Estonia; finding that the burying of persons who have died in acts of war to unsuitable places is in discord with European culture and the tradition of honouring the memory and remains of the deceased; on the basis of Article 34 of the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol 1) adopted on 8 June 1977, according to which the Estonian state is obliged to guarantee the respect of the remains and gravesites of persons who have died due to acts of war in the territory of Estonia, and the marking thereof, and in pursuance of which the Estonian state is entitled to rebury the remains on the basis of the public interest, the Riigikogu2 passes this Act. Chapter 1 General Provisions § 1. Scope of application of Act (1) This Act determines the legal protection and maintenance of war graves located in Estonia, public access to war graves and the procedure for the marking of war graves, as well as the bases of and procedure for reburial of the remains in the war graves located in Estonia to cemeteries with the aim of the protection provided for in this Act. (2) This Act applies to the remains and war graves of the soldiers who fell in the Estonian War of Independence and the remains and war graves of the persons who fell for the independence of Estonia in armed fight, including armed resistance movement (forest brotherhood). This Act applies to persons who belonged to the armed forces of other foreign states, and to the remains and war graves of citizens of other states in so far as not otherwise prescribed in international agreements. (3) Legal regulation relating to war graves of citizens of Estonia which are located in foreign states and the maintenance of the graves is guaranteed by international agreements. § 2. Definitions In this Act, the following definitions are used: 1) “war victim” means: – a person who fell in armed fight or died in the wounds received or illnesses conceived in the fight within one year after participation in the fight; – a person who died in armed resistance to occupation regime or died due to the health damage resulting from participation in armed resistance movement within one year after the participation in armed resistance movement; – a person who fell or died in military service or a similar service during acts of war or died due to the health damage received in the specified service during acts of war within one year after the health damage emerged; – a person who died in immediate acts of war or due to an injury received during immediate acts of war within one year after receiving the injury; – a person who died in an internment camp or due to health damage received in an internment camp within one year after release therefrom; – a person who died as a prisoner of war or due to health damage received while held as a prisoner of war within one year after termination of the imprisonment; 2) “war grave” means a burial site of the remains of the persons specified in clause 1) of this section; 3) “cemetery” means a site prescribed and planned for burying of the remains of humans, bodies or cremated bodies, and provided with the necessary structures; 4) “military cemetery” means a cemetery prescribed for burying of war victims and members of the Defence Forces which is in the state ownership and the administration of which is in the area of government of the Ministry of Defence. The procedure for the administration of the cemeteries of the Defence Forces shall be established by the Government of the Republic. Chapter 2 War Graves Protection § 3. Right of preservation of war grave (1) War graves shall be marked and the legal protection thereof shall continue pursuant to the procedure provided for in this Chapter for an unspecified term or until a term provided for in an international agreement. (2) The owner of the immovable on which a war grave is located is required to ensure the preservation of the war grave and the marking thereof. All roads and pathways leading to the war grave must be open for public use from sunrise until sunset and the possessor of the immovable shall not hinder public access to the war grave during such time. (3) The owner of the immovable is required to allow the performance of the works necessary for the performance of the obligations prescribed by this Act on the immovable. (4) In order to protect war graves located outside of cemeteries, protected zones shall be established in a range of up to twenty five metres from the exterior or boundary of a war grave. § 4. Keeping of records of war graves (1) The Ministry of Defence shall keep records of the war graves located in Estonia and foreign states. The Minister of Defence shall establish, by a regulation, the procedure for maintaining the list of war graves which prescribes the information to be entered in the list, the procedure for deleting a war grave from the list and the procedure for release of information concerning war graves. The Ministry of Defence has the right to authorise another legal person to keep records of war graves. (2) The owner of the immovable is required to inform the Ministry of Defence of a war grave found on his on her land as well as a grave with regard to which there is good reason to suspect that it is a war grave immediately after finding the war grave. (3) Everyone who possesses information concerning war graves is required to forward such information to the Ministry of Defence free of charge within one year as of entry into force of this Act or immediately after finding the war grave or receipt of the corresponding new information. § 5. War grave protection and protection obligation notice (1) The Minister of Defence shall decide the entry of a war grave in the list of war graves. The Minister of Defence shall issue a protection obligation notice to the person on whose immovable the war grave is located. Before entry of a war grave in the list of war graves, the war graves committee shall give an opinion on the basis of this Act as to whether or not the remains in the war grave are to be reburied. If the remains in the war grave are to be reburied on the basis of the provisions of this Act, the war grave shall not be entered in the list of war graves and a protection obligation notice shall not be issued with regard thereto. After reburial of the remains, the Minister of Defence shall decide on the entry of the new burial site in the list of war graves and shall issue a protection obligation notice. (2) A protection obligation notice is an informative document issued to the owner of an immovable which contains a war grave, or whose immovable is located within such areas, or to an administrator of state assets concerning whom a corresponding entry has been made in the land register, a person or agency duly authorised by an administrator of state assets (hereinafter possessor), and the restrictions contained therein shall be entered in the land cadastre. (3) A protection obligation notice shall contain: 1) information concerning the war grave and the time of entry thereof in the list of war graves; 2) a list of restrictions necessary for ensuring the protection of the war grave. (4) A protection obligation notice shall be issued by the Minister of Defence within thirty days as of the entry of the war grave in the list of war graves. (5) A protection obligation notice shall be delivered against a signature or sent by post by registered letter. § 6. Marking and maintenance of war graves (1) War graves shall be marked in a manner ensuring the honouring and dignified treatment of the remains of war victims such that the location of the war grave could be noticeable at the site. The names of the persons buried in the grave shall be entered on the marking of the war grave if possible. (2) The Ministry of Defence shall organise the marking and maintenance of war graves. The Ministry of Defence has the right to authorise another legal person to mark and maintain war graves and to enter into a contract for the use of allocations from the state budget with such person. The cemetery administrator or a legal person authorised by the Minister of Defence shall care for, perform renovation or restoration work at and maintain the war graves located in public cemeteries and cemeteries of Defence Forces. (3) A war grave maintained by a private person is a grave which is maintained by the immediate family of the person who is buried in the war grave, or by land owner. The Ministry of Defence has the right to assume the obligation to maintain a war grave maintained by a private person with the consent of the current maintainer. § 7. Transfer of land (1) If guaranteeing the right of preservation of a war grave prescribed in § 3 of this Act severely hinders the use of the plot of land for the intended purpose by the owner, the expropriation of the immovable at the request of the owner as provided in subsection 3 (2) of the Immovables Expropriation Act is applied.